If you haven't heard of this man then its time to pay attention. With 173 kickboxing fights at 152 wins with an astonishing 86 of those wins by way of knockout its not hard to see why he deserves a mention in my combat specialists series. To set the stage for an exiting analysis allow me the absolute pleasure of presenting you one of if not the most exciting technical-brawls in the history of combat sports. Trust me your going to want to watch the whole thing.
What makes Zambo so interesting is that he essentially has one of the most difficult builds to transition to the sport. At just under 5ft 6 sporting a stocky build with less than ideal reach, you would think he would have trouble against just about any kick boxer with a good outside game. Even more interestingly the vast majority of his offence consists of boxing. To further stir the plot, the boxing that he does use is based off 2 punches and their slight variations; the right hook/overhand and the left hook/body rip respectively. He does this while almost completely ignoring the use of the jab, arguably the most important punch in boxing. So lets get this straight, this short inside fighter rocks up to kickboxing fights barely throwing kicks, throws essentially 2 punches that should require a jab to set them up with an occasional kick added in once in a blue moon and he's a fucking 15 time world Kickboxing champion? Yep correct. So how on earth does that work? Allow me to explain.
The importance of hands in kickboxing. Kickboxing (as explained in my previous article) rarely comes down to who is the better kicker. In fact in many cases it comes down the the efficiency of there handy work (you saw what i did there and you thoroughly enjoyed it). This is primarily due to the fact that kicks are a hell of a lot more telegraphed thrown as a single strike than they are when utilised in a combination. As a result it is seen as the best ways to set up kicks is by using your hands. This has proven to be so effective that coaches from the Netherlands developed a whole style off of it, and as many of my readers will now know, that style is refereed to as Dutch Kickboxing. Even when a one off kick has landed, often a low kick both to the inside or the outside leg of an opponent or even a head kick, it is almost always set up with a feint, the idea is to disguise the kick so that the opponent doesn't expect it thus not defending him/herself from the blow until its too late. I will actually cover a whole article on the importance of feinting and faking strikes and how it applies to all striking based sports. Stay tuned.
So we know that Zambo uses boxing techniques just as Dutch style practitioners do. But the dutch focus heavily on straight punching with the (left hook being an exception), reason being it maximises speed and can be used from the outside without being in close quarters in an inside punching and kneeing range. Zambo uses the opposite, he utilises all short range inside shots and i'm going to break down the reasons as to why I think that is, and why it has been so damn effective in his impressive career.
Footwork. Zambo has incredibly explosive footwork. Both his ability to close the distance in minimal time and dart in and out on the balls of his feet are two of the key reasons why he is so effective on the feet. Now i'm well aware the above two traits are incredibly common among kick boxers especially but its how Zambo uses them that separates him from his competition. First off, obviously every fighter needs to be able to close the distance using his/her footwork but then again most kickboxers aren't 5ft 6 so that distance is a lot less to cover than it is for Mike. One must also factor in that taller kickboxers stereotypically use longer range strikes (think teeps, lead inside leg kicks, jabs and straight rights/lefts) and because of this, as just mentioned, the amount of distance to cover is not as comprehensive. Now zambo not only has to compensate for a reach disadvantage but we must also take into consideration that the punches he utilises are short range punches, meaning unlike straights, teeps and jabs which can be comfortably thrown from the outside (especially with a reach advantage) one must be in close range for these blows to be effective. So not only must he cover extra distance to make up for his short reach, but he must further compensate on top of that for the fact that he needs to be on the inside BEFORE his punches can have their full power potential. The result? Zambo is forced to utilise incredibly explosive linear footwork to maximise distance coverage.
Linear footwork. The second key aspect of Mikes's footwork that I highlighted above was his ability to dart in and out. He would do this a lot more than other opponents because everyone knew that he wanted to get on the inside which meant that if he commited to the strikes every time he came in he would be far too predictable. This is a really good strategy regardless of reach and something all fighters can adopt into their respective styles for great effect.
Faking an entry has a few key advantages. One is the fact that it keeps your opponent off guard. This can happen in a few contexts, you can break your rhythm i.e. come in right way for 2 exchanges and the third time pop in and out then set up an offence from there, or you can continually fake an entry to disguise the eventual time you do choose to come in and avoid telegraphing. This is obviously hugely advantageous especially from a psychological point of view, the fact is that if a fighter is worried about your game plan he's not focusing on his.
Another advantage for faking an entry and this especially applies to Zambo is its ability to disrupt an opponents rhythm and timing thus keeping them off balance. This can also can lure in a taller opponent. A taller fighter's biggest advantage over a shorter one is the ability to control the distance. If a taller fighter can use their reach to safely keep out of their oppoents striking range and deliver their own strikes from a comfortable distance then they have a much higher chance of winning. But when you have a guy like Zambo who can a) enter the inside exposivly fast b) regularly fakes entries c) is hands dominant in attack it makes for some interesting evaluations. First off the opponent doesn't get comfortable with distance. As mentioned when an opponent is thinking about your game plan they are not focused on theirs. The constant in and out movement makes it incredibly hard for a taller opponent to judge the distance, their biggest advantage in the first place. Essentially, as a fighter with a reach advantage you want to set up your offence in 2 ways (usually a combination of both is the most effective). Either let your opponent come to you and counter/create a collision (more on collision creation in my next article!!) or meet your opponent at the very edge of your range, if you overcommit you will give away your reach advantage.
Allow me to illustrate the above with an entertaining example of 2 hypothetical fights. Lets say we have 2 tall opponents versing Zambo. One of them is a counter fighter and exhibits the tendencies of the first example above (lets the Zambo come to him). We will call him Mr X. The other showcases the ability to take it forward to Zambo without giving away their reach advantage by staying on the very edge of their strikes. We will call this man Mr Y.
Now Mr X relies on timing Zambo's entries with a strike to maximise contact and hopefully end up with the KO. When Zambo applies his linear footwork and starts faking entries Mr X has trouble judging whether Zambo is actually coming in or he's just faking it. His timing turns to shit and he has to start looking for opportunities as opposed to waiting for zambo to create them. This leads to frustration and Mr X starts throwing strikes that he normally wouldn't throw, and due to the fact he doesnt have his timing, hes overcommitting his weight on his front foot which is leaving him off balance. When Zambo realises he's off balance, thats when he explodes in and finishes the fight.
Next we have Mr Y. Mr Y is the king of controlled aggression. He repies on quick reflexes and quick footwork to know when to come forward and attack or to circle away and return to centre ring. Mr Y will have a solid advantage for the first minute or so while Mike has to find his range, because unlike Mr X, Mr Y takes it to zambo, albeit intelligently. The first few exchanges are won by Mr Y. But now Zambo starts utilising his footwork via faking entries. Now Mr Y is nervous. Mikes not a sitting target anymore. He's on his toes, in and out. WHOOM Zambo just misses hard left hook to the head, he's finding his range. All of a sudden Mr Y is gun shy he is a lot more stationary, he is the now the sitting duck. This allows mike to find his range and come in as he pleases using his explosive footwork. MR Y knows now hes loosing the fight, he knows he has to start landing strikes so he tries to do what he does best, go forward whilst maintaining a distance. Desperation puts off his timing, he's not relaxed, he looks robotic. Fluent combinations are absent with one shot thrown at a time. Zambo's still moving in and out. In a hail marry attempt Mr Y sees Mike explode forward and steps in for a right cross. Zambo is way ahead, the step in by him was a fake, a fake entry. As Mr Y's bodyweight shifts almost entirely to the front of his lead leg, Zambo pops out, then pops back in with a strike. BOOM Mr Y walks straight into an overhand Right. Lights out.
As you can see through the application of Linear footwork Mike was able to force his opponents to second guess themselves allowing him to dictate the pace of the fight. With Mr X he was able to disrupt the assessment of distance and nullify the timing of his entries. Eventually Mr X got frustrated and starting looking for opportunities to fire and as a result started throwing strikes foreign to his game plan. This resulted in him being off balance and left him with a) no foundation for power production b) susceptible to flash knockdowns and explosive entries.
With Mr Y is was a matter of patience for Zambo. Yes he lost the first few exchanges but it gave him the opportunity to discover his opponent's striking range. When he knew their range he started using his footwork and fakes. This lead to him finishing his own range and setting fear and doubt into the mind of Mr Y. Mr Y couldn't get comfortable from there as he stopped movement and shelled up to provide a heavy bag session for Zambo. Eventually in a Hail Mary attempt, he tried to take it to Zambo but instead walked into Zambo's hardest punch, the overhand right. Zambo accomplished this with footwork, thats how effective good footwork can be. One must realise in a striking sport that your only as good as your footwork as it is the footwork that puts you in the positions that maximise the effectiveness of a strike or combo be it from the outside, mid range or in close quarters.
Stay Tuned for Part 2
Faking an entry has a few key advantages. One is the fact that it keeps your opponent off guard. This can happen in a few contexts, you can break your rhythm i.e. come in right way for 2 exchanges and the third time pop in and out then set up an offence from there, or you can continually fake an entry to disguise the eventual time you do choose to come in and avoid telegraphing. This is obviously hugely advantageous especially from a psychological point of view, the fact is that if a fighter is worried about your game plan he's not focusing on his.
Another advantage for faking an entry and this especially applies to Zambo is its ability to disrupt an opponents rhythm and timing thus keeping them off balance. This can also can lure in a taller opponent. A taller fighter's biggest advantage over a shorter one is the ability to control the distance. If a taller fighter can use their reach to safely keep out of their oppoents striking range and deliver their own strikes from a comfortable distance then they have a much higher chance of winning. But when you have a guy like Zambo who can a) enter the inside exposivly fast b) regularly fakes entries c) is hands dominant in attack it makes for some interesting evaluations. First off the opponent doesn't get comfortable with distance. As mentioned when an opponent is thinking about your game plan they are not focused on theirs. The constant in and out movement makes it incredibly hard for a taller opponent to judge the distance, their biggest advantage in the first place. Essentially, as a fighter with a reach advantage you want to set up your offence in 2 ways (usually a combination of both is the most effective). Either let your opponent come to you and counter/create a collision (more on collision creation in my next article!!) or meet your opponent at the very edge of your range, if you overcommit you will give away your reach advantage.
Allow me to illustrate the above with an entertaining example of 2 hypothetical fights. Lets say we have 2 tall opponents versing Zambo. One of them is a counter fighter and exhibits the tendencies of the first example above (lets the Zambo come to him). We will call him Mr X. The other showcases the ability to take it forward to Zambo without giving away their reach advantage by staying on the very edge of their strikes. We will call this man Mr Y.
Now Mr X relies on timing Zambo's entries with a strike to maximise contact and hopefully end up with the KO. When Zambo applies his linear footwork and starts faking entries Mr X has trouble judging whether Zambo is actually coming in or he's just faking it. His timing turns to shit and he has to start looking for opportunities as opposed to waiting for zambo to create them. This leads to frustration and Mr X starts throwing strikes that he normally wouldn't throw, and due to the fact he doesnt have his timing, hes overcommitting his weight on his front foot which is leaving him off balance. When Zambo realises he's off balance, thats when he explodes in and finishes the fight.
Next we have Mr Y. Mr Y is the king of controlled aggression. He repies on quick reflexes and quick footwork to know when to come forward and attack or to circle away and return to centre ring. Mr Y will have a solid advantage for the first minute or so while Mike has to find his range, because unlike Mr X, Mr Y takes it to zambo, albeit intelligently. The first few exchanges are won by Mr Y. But now Zambo starts utilising his footwork via faking entries. Now Mr Y is nervous. Mikes not a sitting target anymore. He's on his toes, in and out. WHOOM Zambo just misses hard left hook to the head, he's finding his range. All of a sudden Mr Y is gun shy he is a lot more stationary, he is the now the sitting duck. This allows mike to find his range and come in as he pleases using his explosive footwork. MR Y knows now hes loosing the fight, he knows he has to start landing strikes so he tries to do what he does best, go forward whilst maintaining a distance. Desperation puts off his timing, he's not relaxed, he looks robotic. Fluent combinations are absent with one shot thrown at a time. Zambo's still moving in and out. In a hail marry attempt Mr Y sees Mike explode forward and steps in for a right cross. Zambo is way ahead, the step in by him was a fake, a fake entry. As Mr Y's bodyweight shifts almost entirely to the front of his lead leg, Zambo pops out, then pops back in with a strike. BOOM Mr Y walks straight into an overhand Right. Lights out.
As you can see through the application of Linear footwork Mike was able to force his opponents to second guess themselves allowing him to dictate the pace of the fight. With Mr X he was able to disrupt the assessment of distance and nullify the timing of his entries. Eventually Mr X got frustrated and starting looking for opportunities to fire and as a result started throwing strikes foreign to his game plan. This resulted in him being off balance and left him with a) no foundation for power production b) susceptible to flash knockdowns and explosive entries.
With Mr Y is was a matter of patience for Zambo. Yes he lost the first few exchanges but it gave him the opportunity to discover his opponent's striking range. When he knew their range he started using his footwork and fakes. This lead to him finishing his own range and setting fear and doubt into the mind of Mr Y. Mr Y couldn't get comfortable from there as he stopped movement and shelled up to provide a heavy bag session for Zambo. Eventually in a Hail Mary attempt, he tried to take it to Zambo but instead walked into Zambo's hardest punch, the overhand right. Zambo accomplished this with footwork, thats how effective good footwork can be. One must realise in a striking sport that your only as good as your footwork as it is the footwork that puts you in the positions that maximise the effectiveness of a strike or combo be it from the outside, mid range or in close quarters.
Stay Tuned for Part 2
